All About Our Countertops: Quartzite, Quartz and Marble

Hi friends! As I have mentioned before, building a house or even doing a renovation can be a stressful situation, especially with so many options. When we began the process of building our current home, I knew I wanted beautiful countertops but also durable for normal, everyday use.  So I wanted to show you the options that we chose and why. Let’s get to it!

Quartzite in Kitchen

For our kitchen, I considered marble, granite, quartz, and quartzite. I researched and reviewed as many details as possible. We’ve had granite before but wanted something different and quartz was an obvious answer due to the durability and options. I also wanted a stone that was light in color but worried about staining. The majority of the (light colored) granite I looked at resembled Cookies N’ Cream ice cream or the pattern was too splotchy and busy for my taste. I wanted marble because it’s just so beautiful, however, it’s very delicate, stains easily and is not the most practical (for us). Quartz is a synthetic countertop and man-made, but also very durable and just as beautiful. However, when we went to look at options, I fell in love with quartzite. As we were looking, I explained to the sales rep I was looking for marble-like quartz counters for our kitchen. She suggested quartzite.

Quartzite is a natural stone (metamorphic rock) and has the beauty of marble but is harder than granite. I loved the natural veining and that it was a natural stone. Look of marble but the durability of granite and quartz? SOLD! When I spoke with the distributor, they told me it should be resealed once a year. I can handle that. I definitely think maintenance is important for all homeowners and keeping records is important and can help in resale. Although, we have no plans to move anytime soon!

So what are my thoughts a year later?

We moved into our home in December 2017. I called the distributor last week about getting it resealed and they told me I had a 15-year sealer put on and I am good for FIFTEEN YEARS! Whoa. Awesome, but hope I still like them in 15 years. 🙂  We were initially told quartzite doesn’t really etch, but ours has a bit. Not terribly noticeable, but you can see the remnants of maybe where a water glass that had sweat stayed too long. To be honest, it doesn’t really bother me, because well, we actually live in our home. I don’t think it is possible to not have a glass eventually sweat on a countertop! The good news is that it has not stained at all! I used to panic, but over time I have come to realize it won’t stain and it will all be ok. 🙂 As for price point, quartzite is more expensive than granite and just slightly more than quartz.

Chandelier |Island Pendants | Bar Stools

I would absolutely choose quartzite all over again. I do love our countertops; they have a beautiful shine and are light, bright and even have the slightest little sparkle in certain lighting. I use cleaners that are made specifically for stone to make sure nothing is too abrasive for the sealant.

Quartz in Main Bathrooms

For budget reasons, I decided to go with quartz in both the master bathroom and the upstairs bathroom. It was an easy decision because of the options and styles. Again, I think granite is a bit busy for the style I am into at the moment (it’s always changing) so I wanted simple and neutral. These are as expected, very durable and have not stained. Great option for bathrooms and/or kitchens. This is our master bathroom and we have the same quartz on the ledge in our shower.

Vanity Mirrors

For our daughter’s bathroom, I chose a quartz that had a little more gray in it. I was worried her bathroom would look washed out with all the white, and wanted to slightly change it up. By the way, this bathroom is super difficult to photograph!

Marble in Half Bath

The half bathroom (powder room) has a marble countertop. It’s beautiful and came with the vanity. No one applies makeup on it, there’s no eating or drinking near it so I consider it safe. 🙂

Wall Decals

I think I would have been happy with quartz in my kitchen too, but I love the quartzite.We have a 10 foot island and they were able to use one slab for it without any seams. Have any of you used quartzite in your home? Have you had any issues with etching?